Our pandemic year: Help us tell the story of the COVID crisis in Queens
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Mount Sinai Queens nurses make a heart sign as they pose for a photo to celebrate the last day of National Nurses Week on May 12, 2020. AP Photo
By Rachel Vick and David Brand
More than a year has passed since the coronavirus arrived in Queens, quickly turning the World’s Borough into the world’s COVID-19 epicenter.
On March 10, Mayor Bill de Blasio told New Yorkers to work from home if possible. By March 15, he moved to shut down schools, bars and restaurants. A few days later, courts closed for most in-person proceedings and COVID-19 restrictions were here to stay
There were just over 170 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New York state and 36 in New York City, according to reports at the time.
A year later, more than 1.7 million people across the state have tested positive for the coronavirus, including more than 725,000 in New York City. More than 48,000 people have died since the first recorded COVID death on March 14.
Mid-March marked the beginning of restrictions that have transformed how we live. In a matter of days limits on gathering were tightened, countless events were cancelled and courts pared down to essential functions.
Within weeks, the coronavirus exposed disparities in healthcare access and the disproportionately lethal impact of the illness on communities of color, low-income New Yorkers and immigrants.
And Queens emerged as one of the world’s hardest hit places. The borough’s eight hospitals were quickly overwhelmed with sick and dying patients, forcing medical staff to convert various units to critical care wards. Meanwhile, lines for COVID tests stretched for blocks. Elmhurst Hospital became an early symbol of the crisis as the coronavirus strained staff and resources to the limit.
But the pandemic also inspired the best in Queens residents. As streets fell silent, good samaritans stepped up to check in on older neighbors, to bring food to people in need and to simply bang their pots and pans to honor the healthcare heroes risking their own heath to treat others.
A year later, there appears to be sunlight on the horizon.
More than 2.3 million New Yorkers have received their first vaccines — greater than the entire population of Queens. After disturbing delays, the vaccine rollout has picked up steam in recent weeks since the very first shot went to a nurse from where else but Queens back in December 2020.
Nevertheless, the same communities hit hardest by the pandemic have also had the lowest rates of vaccination, pointing to persistent disparities in healthcare access all these months later.
As we mark a year of unimagined sorrow and persistent hope, of unprecedented challenge and transformative change, we are calling on you, our readers, to help us tell the story the COVID crisis in Queens.
Please write to us about your experiences as we continue to build an historic archive of the crisis, featuring the accounts of residents from across Queens.
How has your life changed in the last year?
When did the extent of the crisis hit home?
Have you lost a loved one, a friend, a colleague or acquaintance who you want to memorialize?
How have you helped or been helped through this unprecedented crisis?
Who have you turned to for support?
And what do you most look forward to when “normal” life resumes?
Email editor David Brand at david@queenspublicmedia.com or reporter Rachel Vick at rachel@queenspublicmedia.com with your stories or fill out the form below
We would love to continue publishing your accounts and memories.
